Black and White
by DragonShadow
Summary: When Sam's brother comes to town, he convinces Sam to break off her friendship with Alex, pushing Alex and Clover closer together. But when Alex goes missing, the gloves come off.
1. Chapter 1

Black and White  
  
There wasn't much Clover enjoyed more than dating, and making guys swoon like lovesick puppies. Throughout her life she'd broken more hearts than there were guys in her schools, and she thoroughly enjoyed all of it. Sure she'd gotten a few death threats every now and then, but they never followed through. However, there was one boy who'd always been out of her reach. One boy who'd always resisted her charms before he left to join the U.S. Navy...  
  
Clover shivered in anticipation. "So he's arriving this afternoon, right Sammy?" She asked as she lifted a cheese fry from the plate and shoved it in her mouth. Sam rolled her eyes and sighed as another mall patron behind her gave a yelp and leapt up from his seat. Apparently coffee was hot, and he began screaming about lawsuits and marching up to the Starbucks that had sold it to him.  
  
"Yes, Clover, my older brother is arriving this afternoon." Sam shook her head bemusedly. Clover had had a massive crush on Sam's older brother since she'd met Sam, but being a rather young girl, she'd never won his attention. Now though, he would have to be Gay not to notice her. "I don't see what the big deal is, he's just visiting during his shore leave from the Navy. It's not like you could have a real relationship with him."  
  
Alex looked up from her meal of diet Pepsi and chilidogs to stare at Clover appraisingly. "Besides, from everything you've said about him since you found out he was coming he's got to be cuter than humanly possible." Sam hadn't met Alex until after Anthony had left for the Navy, so Alex and Anthony had never actually met.  
  
"Well if they put out a casting call for a Greek God of Hunkiness, he'd win hands down." Clover replied with a grin.  
  
"Hunkier than David?" Alex gasped in shock.  
  
"David's a two compared to Anthony's fifteen." Clover confirmed with a nod.  
  
"Woooow. I have GOT to meet this guy." Alex proclaimed.  
  
Sam looked down at her watch, blinking in surprise. "Oh man, looks like you're gonna get your chance sooner than we thought. He was supposed to arrive ten minutes ago!"  
  
Clover gasped in horror and jumped up. "I'll drive!" With that the three girls took off through the mall, heading down to the parking garage. They knew the entire place by memory, and they even had a spot reserved for them near the exit for being such regular mall goers. So they reached the car fairly quickly and Clover pulled out.  
  
The screams of her two friends were still ringing in Clover's ears as she pulled into the driveway in front of Sam's house, skidding to a stop in a cloud of smoke and dust. Clover threw the door of the convertible open and ran up to the door, banging her fist on it quickly. With practiced speed, she whipped out a brush and fixed her hair before the footsteps inside reached the door.  
  
The door was opened by a tall, tanned, and muscular man who looked like he belonged in the pro-wrestling circuit rather than the navy. Clover grinned and flipped her hair back before flashing him a dashing smile. "Hey Anthony, it's been a long time."  
  
"Clover? Little Clover? Wow... you've grown up." She watched his eyes scan her body like a machine taking an imprint. "It's good to see you." He smiled warmly and pulled her into an affectionate hug, which she leaned into quite willingly. When she pulled back he looked over to the driveway, quirking one eyebrow. "What's with them?"  
  
"Huh?" Clover looked back at her friends for the first time. The dust kicked up by the tires was just beginning to clear, and Sam was crawling along the ground away from the vehicle with shaking limbs. Alex was still in the car, mostly obscured by the smoke. "They just get carsick real easy apparently."  
  
"Clover... you are never driving again..." Sam pushed herself shakily to her feet, shaking her head.  
  
"Hey little sis." Anthony smiled and walked up to her to help steady her. "It's been way too long."  
  
"Anthony, it's good to see you." Sam smiled and wrapped her brother up in a hug, both to greet him and to keep her balance since her legs were still shaking violently from her ride with Clover. "How've you been holding up with the recent war and all?"  
  
"Ah, I've been stationed on a boat, so I haven't been in any danger... from outside sources anyway." Anthony smirked jokingly and Sam giggled. Clover smirked and looked back at the car to see Alex finally emerging, after having composed herself and brushed the dust off of her. Clover poked Sam in the side and gestured to Alex as she moved to join them.  
  
"Oh, right. Anthony, this is Alex, best friend number 2." Sam smiled at Alex as she approached.  
  
"Hey, it's good to meet you." Alex smiled and held out her hand, but to all of their surprise Anthony just stared down at it in surprise. Alex blinked, looking down at her hanging hand as Anthony looked away from her and cleared his throat. Before any of them could say anything he turned to Sam.  
  
"Mom wants us to decide on what to have at our celebratory dinner tonight. Come on." He took his sister's shoulder and led her into the house. Clover blinked and looked over at Alex, who was staring straight ahead with her hand still extended.  
  
"Uh... what just happened?" Alex asked softly as she slowly lowered her hand to the side.  
  
"He was probably intimidated by your cuteness." Clover grinned and elbowed her in the side. Alex blushed and cleared her throat as Clover took her hand and pulled her into the house after Sam and her brother. Secretly, she was as perplexed as Alex was. That had been no infatuation... there was something else at work. She would have to find out what it was.  
  
When they reached the living room Anthony and Sam were in the middle of speaking heatedly with each other. "I can't believe you, Anthony. I never knew you were like this." Sam growled darkly.  
  
"Hey, don't make this about me..." Anthony trailed off when he saw Clover and Alex approaching. "Come on Sam, we should go help mom decide what to have tonight." He grabbed her arm, but she shrugged him off of her.  
  
"I'd like to have a word with my friends first, if you don't mind." Sam turned and walked back over to Clover and Alex. Anthony glared at her, then moved his ice-cold stare over to Alex instead. Alex smiled meekly and waved back, but he just turned and walked into the kitchen angrily. "I can't believe this... I'm really sorry Alex."  
  
"What's going on here Sammy?" Clover asked. "Alex may not be on my level of attractiveness but she has her own charm."  
  
"Apparently Anthony has a few life-philosophies that I never knew about as a kid..." Sam trailed off, looking over at Alex apologetically. "Of the... segregationist kind."  
  
"Segregationist?" Alex asked confusedly. "What are you talking about?" Clover smirked and shook her head, putting her hands on her hips. Wow, that really put a hole straight through his ultimate hunk image. There was no way she was going to go for a guy who refused to associate with her best friend. "What does that mean for tonight?"  
  
"It means we're not invited for dinner." Clover smiled slightly and put a hand on Alex's shoulder.  
  
"I'm really sorry about this girls, but it has been forever since I've seen him and I really wanted to catch up with him..." Sam sighed sadly.  
  
"Don't sweat it Sam, you spend some time with him and then join back up with us in a few days when he leaves. No big deal." Clover smiled and looked over at Alex. "You ready to go hit the mall?"  
  
"Uh... sure I guess..." Alex replied numbly. Clover took her shoulder and turned to lead her out of the house, with Sam closing the door behind them. She would have to keep Alex entertained for a while to keep her from getting too upset. That was okay, she knew just how to keep her occupied...  
  
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Sam worked for the next thirty minutes helping her mother and brother plan the celebratory feast that would take place that night. Anthony looked the same as he always did. As happy and helpful as ever... when just thirty minutes ago he'd looked extremely upset just to have Alex walk into the house. It was always confusing when one's memory conflicted with present circumstance.  
  
"Well, it looks like we have everything we need. I'll get started on the turkey. Can you two head to the store and pick up the rest of what we need?" Mrs. Simpson asked.  
  
"Sure mom, we'll be back in a jiffy." Sam turned to leave, with Anthony trailing right behind her. She climbed into her convertible, waiting until her brother occupied the passenger's seat before pulling out and heading toward the nearby grocery store. They both remained silent for a long time until Anthony spoke.  
  
"This is why I never told you. You're just like mom. If I disagree with you, you shut me out." He told her softly. Sam's first instinct was to snap his head off. Of course she would get mad at him. He was rejecting her best friend for no good reason. But she managed to keep her cool and respond amiably.  
  
"I just don't get it." Sam replied reasonably. "Alex is a great girl, who cares what color she is? It makes no difference."  
  
"I disagree." Anthony said simply. Sam clenched the steering wheel tightly until her knuckles turned white. "See, there you go. All you people who talk about freedom and equal opinions always fly off the deep end when someone takes a certain stance on things." Sam gave him a sideways glance, then relaxed her grip on the wheel and took a deep, cleansing breath.  
  
"Okay, why don't you explain it to me then?" She asked.  
  
"Well, think about it. Why do people have different skin colors?" Anthony asked. Sam kept her mouth shut, not wanting to accidentally bite his head off without at least hearing him out. "It signifies that we all have different cultures. I mean think about it. Black people want to be black above all. That's a fact. Asians want to be Asian, and so on and so on. Nobody's interested in being one culture, so why should I have to put up with their culture if they're not interested in respecting mine?"  
  
"Alex has never done any such thing. She's no different from me or Clover." Sam replied with a carefully guided coolness.  
  
"But still, she can't be completely happy can she?" Anthony asked. Sam gave him an odd sideways glance. "She's not like you or Clover, she's different. That has to have an effect on her, and you two." Sam stared at him for a moment, then looked back down at the road. "You know she's different."  
  
"We're all different from each other regardless of skin color." Sam replied.  
  
"But why make it harder for ourselves? It's hard enough to get through life and figure out who we are, why do we confuse things further by trying to act like everyone on the planet is exactly the same?" Anthony asked. Sam stared at the road in front of her, not responding. Oddly enough, he was making sense to her. There were so many people at her school who had no idea what to be or do... even Alex was confused more often than most people she knew. Was being Alex's friend really hurting her?  
  
"We're here." Anthony's warning brought Sam out of her deep thoughts so that she could guide them into the parking lot and find them a spot near the back. They remained silent on the trip toward the store. Sam had a lot to think about all of a sudden...  
  
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Hours had already passed, and Alex was about ready to call it a day. Clover had been running her around the mall all day bargain hunting. So far they'd walked away with three pairs of identical looking sneakers, three identical looking hair bows, and three skin tight body suits that made their WOOHP outfits look baggy by comparison.  
  
"Okay Clover, hold up, some of us need to breathe." Alex spurted out as she sank to a bench. Clover huffed and walked back over to her, dropping the bags she'd been lugging to the floor.  
  
"Breathe? Who needs air when you have prices like these just waiting for us." Clover seemed to point to a random store, but her finger wound up pointing to a lingerie store with a see-through pair of panties and bra adorning a very well shaped mannequin.  
  
"Wow Clover, I didn't know you felt that way about me." Alex smirked. Clover followed the path of her finger and turned bright red, lowering her hand to her side. "Look, I'm not stupid. I know what happened at Sam's house. It doesn't really bother me."  
  
"It doesn't?" Clover asked.  
  
"Nah, you can't expect EVERYONE to like you." Alex shrugged.  
  
"Wow... that's really mature Alex. Me... I want to rip his throat out!" Clover shouted, clenching her fists in front of her. Alex giggled and rolled her eyes. They both stopped when Sam approached them with a somewhat nervous look on her face. "Sammy, there you are. Now that you're here, it's time for the REAL shopping!"  
  
"First, I have to say something..." Sam said softly. Clover blinked and stared at her while Alex stood up and approached her. Sam's eyes flitted over to Alex's staring deep into them. "Alex... I... don't think we..." She continued to speak, but her voice trailed off until they couldn't hear her at all.  
  
"What is it Sam?" Alex asked worriedly.  
  
"I... don't think we should be friends anymore." Sam averted her gaze quickly. Alex stood stunned with her jaw going slack. Before the shock could even set in Clover started howling angrily.  
  
"What are you talking about!? Alex is our best friend! You can't just end this kind of friendship like that for no reason!" Clover went on screaming at Sam, but Alex just stared at her with a pair of wells slowly sneaking up behind her cheeks. Sam slapped one hand over Clover's mouth, finally ending the stream of exclamations and yells.  
  
"We can still have a working relationship at WOOHP... but I'm sorry... this... may not be good..." Sam turned to leave just as suddenly as she broke Alex's heart, keeping her head down.  
  
"Sam, Sam please!" Alex lunged forward and grabbed her hand desperately, holding onto it with every ounce of her strength. "I don't want a working relationship, I want a working friendship! I mean... a best friendship!"  
  
"This is for the best... I think..." Sam silently yanked her hand away from Alex, pulling the younger girl to her hands and knees on the floor. Sam walked away silently, leaving Alex staring after her in shock and confusion.  
  
Clover kneeled down to help Alex stand up. "Fine! You go Sam! If you want to ditch Alex, you're ditching me too!" Clover shouted angrily. She grabbed Alex's hand and pulled her away from the area. "Come on, let's get out of here." Alex was completely numb as Clover pulled her through the mall to the parking lot, where they took to the street. "I can't believe that girl... her brother got to her head somehow."  
  
Alex sat on the couch silently, staring at the TV in a state of shock.  
  
"Forget it Alex. It'll blow over soon. She'll come to her senses and tell her stupid brother where to stick it. Until then, it's you and me." Clover pulled up to Alex's house and climbed out of the car, walking around to pull Alex out of the car and help her into the house. She set Alex on the couch and headed into the kitchen. "I'll get you a nice latté and we can watch some good old dependable TV."  
  
Alex stared at the TV until Clover returned and turned it on, shoving a mug into her hands. She looked blankly down at the mug for a few moments before turning to glance at Clover. Clover gave her a comforting smile and put one arm around her shoulders. "You're gonna cheer up if I have to staple your lips into a smile."  
  
Alex just stared at the TV blankly, holding the mug in her hands. She blinked in surprise when she felt Clover grip her shoulder tightly, moving to stand in front of her. Her expression was unusually subdued and concerned. "Alex, say something..." Alex stared up at her, the tears welling up in her eyes.  
  
"I... she..." She trailed off as the tears flowed down her cheeks and her throat closed up on her. She closed her eyes and turned her head to the side embarrassedly. But Clover just pulled her into a tight embrace, letting her bury her face in her neck.  
  
"Ssshhhh..." Clover wrapped her arms around her younger friend, running her fingers up and down her back in a gentle massage. "She'll come around... this is just a phase..."  
  
"Stay with me please..." Alex demanded in a pleading voice, whispering into Clover's ear.  
  
"Of course, you couldn't get rid of me if you wanted to..." Clover smiled and squeezed her friend's shoulder lightly. Alex smiled and pulled back slightly, staring at Clover with tears still running down her cheeks. Clover reached up and brushed the tears on one cheek away with her thumb, giving her a gentle smile.  
  
Alex's tears returned as she flung her arms tightly around Clover, squeezing her tightly. "I love you Clover." She didn't really think about what she was saying, it was probably the shock of losing Sam so suddenly, but Clover seemed to freeze up for a moment in her embrace. Her body relaxed in a few moments however and her hands began to stroke Alex's back.  
  
"Love you too Alex." Clover kissed her cheek in a friendly manner. Alex moved her head to the side and almost unconscious began kissing Clover's neck. She wanted to cling to something so bad, it didn't really matter what it was. Clover's soft skin was pleasant on her lips, and she felt Clover shift in her embrace. "Alex..."  
  
"I... sorry..." Alex pulled back, blushing furiously and turning away from Clover. She wiped at her cheeks furiously with the back of one hand. "I don't know what... what came over me... I'm not thinking straight..."  
  
She felt Clover move up against her side, wrapping her arms around her waist. "I am." Alex gasped when she felt Clover's lips tickling her throat. A soft moan crawled out of her throat when Clover began sucking on it lightly, running her hands over her waist with a gentle touch of her fingertips. Alex closed her eyes, lost in Clover's lips playing across the sensitive flesh of her neck.  
  
The rest of the night was lost in exploration and vented emotions, with the two becoming one until finally they fell asleep together in Alex's bed, still wrapped up in each others' arms.  
  
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Sam walked through the kitchen with her glass of water, turning off the light on her way to the stairs that led up to her bedroom. She stopped when she saw Anthony sitting on the couch in a pair of boxer shorts, flipping through the channels. Sam herself was wearing a plain pink nightgown that brushed against the floor when she walked.  
  
"Trouble sleeping?" He asked her softly. Strangely, Sam noted that he had the cordless phone sitting on the couch beside him. She didn't know who he'd be calling at this time of night... but she decided it wasn't her business. He was a grown man, and she wasn't his mother.  
  
"I feel awful." Sam replied with a sigh. "You should have seen Alex's face... I might as well have just ripped her heart out."  
  
"Don't worry about it." Anthony smiled back at her. "Come tomorrow, you'll both have completely new... happier lives. You'll see."  
  
"I don't feel any happier right now, I just feel like a heartless witch." Sam shook her head regretfully.  
  
Anthony stood up and walked over to her, putting one hand on her chin to make her look at him. "Get some sleep... everything will seem clearer in the morning. Trust me."  
  
Something in his eyes set off an alarm in Sam's mind, but she was too tired and confused to pay it much mind. Plus this was her brother... she couldn't suspect him of anything. "Sure... goodnight Anthony." She turned to head upstairs, walking to her room. She stopped when she heard the phone ring suddenly at the bottom of the stairs. It didn't even reach the second ring.  
  
Sam shook her head and went in her room. It wouldn't be right to spy on her brother's private conversation. Maybe he was right... it would all seem better in the morning. It certainly couldn't seem any worse.  
  
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Clover's eyes snapped open suddenly, her senses brought on guard by a shift in the air in the bedroom. She could still feel Alex's body pressed against hers under the bed sheets, but the little moonlight combined with the beginnings of dawn sunlight that filtered through the window wasn't enough to give her a very good view of the rest of the room. When she turned her head to the side she saw the door partway open... but she remembered locking it earlier...  
  
Clover sat up quickly, jolting Alex out of her deep slumber. Before she could speak a hand lashed out from the side of the bed and gripped her throat, pushing her back down onto the pillow. She gripped at the hand to try to loosen it, but the hand's owner sat up on the bed and used the leverage to push down harder, trying to crush her windpipe.  
  
"Rrragh!" Alex's heel slammed into Clover's attacker's face, sending him hurtling off the bed to the floor with a thud. Clover gasped for air and rolled to her side, rubbing her throat tenderly. "Clover! Are you okay!?" Alex crawled over to her, putting one hand on her shoulder.  
  
"G... Ghe... he..." Clover tried to speak, but the breath caught in her throat. She could barely make any noises as another figure came up behind Alex and grabbed her around the waist, hefting her off the bed. Alex screamed as the figure whirled and slammed her flat onto the floor face-down. "Alex..." Clover pushed herself to a kneeling position on the mattress, looking back just in time to see her former attacker lunging for her again.  
  
Clover rolled to the other end of the bed to perch on the footboard, throwing herself off of it to fly through the air and slam her foot into the first attacker's face. He stumbled back into the wall and shook his head, but Clover jumped forward and smashed the side of her foot into his face, planting it against the wall and knocking him unconscious instantly.  
  
Clover whirled as the unconscious attacker collapsed to the ground, but she couldn't see any sign of Alex or the second attacker. "Alex!?" Clover charged out of the room, ignoring her nudity and running right out the front door. All she caught was a single taillight that was going around the corner down the block.  
  
"Alex... damnit..." Clover turned to run inside quickly, grabbing her phone off the wall and dialing 911 on her way up the stairs to get dressed and tie up the unconscious kidnapping accomplice. She certainly hadn't expected this... but she would be damned if she let Alex down. 


	2. Chapter 2

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Surprisingly, Sam did feel a bit better the next day as she and Anthony cruised down the street in her bright red convertible. The wind blowing through her long mane of fiery red hair felt refreshing, and being able to just ride was a nice change. Normally she had to pick up Alex to drive places because she didn't have a car...  
  
"Uh, Sam? Where are we going?" Anthony asked. With a blink, Sam realized she'd been driving them right toward Alex's house.  
  
"Wow... sorry, must be a force of habit." Sam smiled apologetically and slowed down to turn, but a flashing light further down the street caught her eye. "What the... is that..." She slammed her foot on the gas and sped down the street. "Oh my God..." She slammed on the breaks as she pulled up outside Alex's house, which had several cop cars and an ambulance sitting outside.  
  
"Sam, this is none of our business. She's not your friend anymore." Anthony said.  
  
"Friend or not, she's a human being." Sam jumped out of the car and ran toward the house. She spotted Clover sitting in the ambulance with a paramedic examining her throat carefully. "Oh man, Clover! What happened!?" Sam ran toward the ambulance. Clover looked at her down her nose, since her head was craned upward to take stress off her neck.  
  
"Somebody broke into Alex's house last night to take her... ow!" Clover winced as the paramedic squeezed the fairly sized bruise on her neck. "I knocked one out, but the other got away with her..."  
  
"Oh man..." Sam's mood fell like a stone. And the last thing she'd said to Alex was that they weren't friends anymore... "Are there any leads as to where they might have gone? Ransom notes? Anything?" Clover shook her head. Sam felt a tap on her shoulder, so she turned to see Anthony behind her.  
  
"Sam, come on. We have to get you to school or you'll be late." Anthony told her.  
  
"Forget school right now..." Sam replied with a frown.  
  
"You have to concentrate on your grades." Anthony told her. "This is exactly what comes from this mingling crap, your grades go down."  
  
"Oh back off." Sam shoved him back toward the car. "Get out of here, go do whatever you want."  
  
"What are you going to do?" Anthony asked.  
  
"I'm sticking with Clover, I want to make sure she's okay at least." Sam replied. Anthony nodded, content with the answer and turned to climb into Sam's car. As he drove off Clover growled, but winced since this tickled the bruise on her throat.  
  
"That little bigot is getting on my nerves." Clover stated.  
  
"Don't worry Clover, we'll get to the bottom of this." Sam put one hand on the paramedic's shoulder. "If she's okay enough to move around and stuff, could I take her?"  
  
"Um... well any injuries to the throat should be taken very seriously..." The paramedic replied.  
  
"I'll take the chance." Clover pushed him back and hopped out of the ambulance. "Come on Sam, it's time to call in the big guns." She turned to run down the street, with Sam following close behind her. There was only one way they could find Alex quickly before something worse than a kidnapping happened to her...  
  
Suddenly the pavement opened up underneath them, sending them hurtling down a long, winding steel tunnel until they finally emerged and hit the ground in a bundle of limbs. "Jerry!" Sam shouted as she looked up to see the head of WOOHP sitting behind his desk, looking down at them. "We were just coming to see you! Alex is-"  
  
Jerry interrupted her. "We know Sam, we've been working on it since the 911 call was placed." He looked up as another agent walked in and held out a file of papers. He grabbed the file and opened it, looking through the pages with a careful gaze.  
  
Clover pushed herself to her feet, approaching Jerry's desk. "Well? Are we going to do something about it?" She asked irritably.  
  
"Of course, but first, you must be briefed. Time is of the essence so I'll keep it short." Jerry stood up and pressed a button on his desk, activating the monitor on the wall behind him. It showed a picture of a man with a strong jaw line and green eyes. "The man you knocked out Clover is named Michael Mendoza. He's a former state wrestling champion, a devoted father and husband... and a card-carrying member of the Ku Klux Klan."  
  
Sam's blood went cold. "KKK? As in the 'burning people on crosses' KKK?"  
  
"The very same I'm afraid. It has become rare for them to actively attack others, but its been known to happen. Particularly when one of them has a personal grudge." Jerry turned toward the girls with a grim expression on his face. "Michael Mendoza is being held at the California State Police Department. They've questioned him, but he isn't talking about who asked him to do this or where they took Alex."  
  
"I bet I could make him talk." Clover growled, punching one of her fists down on the desk.  
  
Jerry surprised them both with his next statement. "I'm relying on that." He looked back and forth between the two girls with a solemn expression on his face. "Alex's recovery is of the highest priority. She's one of our best agents. You will have all of WOOHP at your disposal for this one, should you need it. And that includes gadgets." Jerry pressed another button on his desk, and the monitor swung to the side, revealing an entire room full of weapons and various WOOHP gadgets. "Take whatever you need."  
  
"Thanks a bunch Jerry. We'll get her back." Clover marched past him into the gadget room to get what she would need. It was nice to know that if something really bad happened, Jerry would be there to give them the support they needed.  
  
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"Uhn..." Alex slowly pushed herself to her hands and knees, rubbing her aching head. She could barely think straight with the pounding drums in her brain... where was she? She opened her eyes halfway and looked around. It looked like an old brick cell... like something from an old west movie combined with a medieval dungeon. There was a flat-as-a-board cot against the wall and three thick bars covering the window.  
  
"Hey, you're awake." Alex looked back at the cell door to see a tall, muscular man with a scowl on his face glaring down at her. Alex pushed herself painfully to her feet, gripping her head with one hand. "It's because of you that Brother Michael is incarcerated right now... you people are never anything but trouble."  
  
"I'm not a 'people', I'm Alex." Alex complained, approaching the cell door. "And I demand to know why you brought me here." When the man let out a guttural belly laugh, she realized she probably wasn't in any position to make demands. "... Please?"  
  
Without warning the man's arm shot between the bars, slamming his palm into her nose. Alex fell back to the ground, clutching her bloody nose with her hands. "Agh!" She rolled to her side, clutching her nose as the man pushed the cell door open and moved to stand over her.  
  
"Don't get testy." He slammed his foot into her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. Alex curled up in a ball on the ground, groaning in pain. He knelt down beside her, putting one hand on her still bare side. She hadn't been clothed since being dragged out of bed like this. "Not bad though..." His hand moved along her side toward her breast.  
  
Alex growled and brushed his hand away violently, but his fist slammed into her cheek, throwing her head into the rock-hard floor. Alex yelped in pain, her vision suddenly going fuzzy. She felt dizzy... She lifted her arms to fight him off again, but a violent impact against her stomach disabled what little muscle control she had left.  
  
"Hey, Brother Zack. We have preparations to make out here." Another voice said from the direction of the cell door.  
  
"We can have a real date later." Zack's hand brushed over Alex's cheek before she heard him stand up and head toward the cell, closing and locking it behind him. Alex curled up on the ground, pulling herself into a fetal position. Her head hurt, her stomach hurt, it was freezing in this cold, dank cell, and she didn't have a shred of protection. Was this Hell...?  
  
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The Catfight Claws dug easily into the side of the police station as Sam and Clover made their way up to the barred window. Their green and red WOOHP outfits shined in the afternoon sunlight. Clover gave Sam a thumbs up when she reached it, and Sam made her way up faster. Indeed, looking inside she saw the man Jerry had shown them sitting on one side of a long table. He was still in the middle of interrogation... but the police interrogators were nowhere to be seen.  
  
Clover reached into her belt and pulled out a tube of Laser Lipstick, using the crimson beam to cut through the bars. She pushed her slim form inside, doing a vertical flip and landing on her feet. Sam followed suit as Michael whirled after hearing the noise, standing up and giving them a broad smile.  
  
"I don't know who you are, but I could definitely use a rescue here." He told them. Sam had an idea to pretend to rescue him, have him lead them back to his hideout, and find Alex that way... but Clover's thought processes were more focused than hers.  
  
"Rescue my ass." Clover stepped forward and slashed the Catfight Claws across his cheek. They bit deep enough to draw blood, and sent Michael scurrying back to get away from her. "Where did your pal take Alex?"  
  
"You're crazy..." Michael exclaimed. He ran for the door, but Sam leapt in front of him, planting a firm kick to his stomach that knocked the wind out of him. "Hugh..." He collapsed to his knees on the floor, clutching his stomach painfully. "Get away from me you lunatics... I'm not saying nothing." Sam grabbed him and pushed him into the nearby chair, holding his arms behind him.  
  
"Oh, you're saying something alright." Clover reached into her belt and pulled out a small star-shaped spray bottle. Sam's eyes widened when she saw it, but she didn't say anything. "Do you know what this is?" Clover sprayed a cloud of blue smoke onto the table, and it froze instantly. A swift kick and it shattered like glass.  
  
"Wh... what are you doing..." Michael stammered.  
  
"Liquid Nitrogen." Clover marched up to him, pointing the bottle at him. "Talk, or maybe we'll find out what this stuff does to a pair of lungs." Clover smirked down at his fear filled expression. Sam watched her carefully. They were supposed to use all means necessary... but killing? That wouldn't get them anywhere. But Clover looked in the right mindset to do it...  
  
"You... you wouldn't..." Michael replied.  
  
"Say 'ah'." Clover grabbed Michael's hair and jerked his head back, forcing his mouth open and inserting the tip of the bottle into his mouth. Michael screamed in a panic, and Sam jumped up.  
  
"Clover, d-" Sam was interrupted by Michael.  
  
"I'll halh, I'll halh!" Michael screamed around the bottle in his mouth. Clover pulled the bottle back and Michael's frantic eyes stated up at her in terror. "I... I don't know anything... s... some guy asked us to do it ..." He gulped, staring at the bottle still clutching in Clover's hand. "That's all I know, Zack took the request so I don't know who gave it... he just had a grudge against the girl..." He squeezed his eyes shut.  
  
The doorknob on the door to the interrogation room began to turn, so both Clover and Sam darted for the window. They both squeezed through and grabbed onto the side of the building with their Catfight Claws just before the door opened. They ignored the conversation inside, instead scaling down the brick wall.  
  
"You went too far Clover. What if it had gone off accidentally?" Sam chided her friend once they reached the bottom.  
  
"Hey, just because you don't care about Alex enough to do whatever's necessary, doesn't mean I won't so whatever it takes to get her back." Clover replied venomously. Sam gaped at her in shock.  
  
"How dare you accuse me of not caring about Alex! Of course I care about her!"  
  
"Then why abandon her like you did!? Do you know what that did to her!?" Clover stepped up to Sam, staring her down with a scowl on her face. "She was crushed."  
  
"I... I thought it was for her own good..." Sam replied softly, turning her eyes downward. "I thought she'd be happier..."  
  
"Your stupid brother has poisoned your mind." Clover told her sharply. "He made you think like him, and now Alex is gone!" Sam blinked and turned to look at Clover, realization flashing in her eyes. Clover blinked, apparently reaching the same conclusion. "Anthony did it... didn't he?"  
  
"He was on the phone with someone last night around the time you and Alex were attacked... it can't be a coincidence." Sam whispered softly. "He told me I'd be happier today... and he told me to forget about Alex this morning. He must have planned it all."  
  
"Then let's find him." Clover held out her hand. "We'll call a truce until Alex is back home safe and sound."  
  
"Deal." Sam shook her hand and they both turned to run away from the police station. Anthony was the only person who could have called out this favor to take out Alex... she wished it weren't true, but there was no other explanation. She had to take him down and get Alex back.  
  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Alex looked up from her curled-up position on the floor to see two large men walking into the cell. She blinked and gasped in surprise to see that Anthony was one of them. "A... Anthony? Thank God..." Alex crawled up to him and grabbed onto his pant-leg. "I know you don't like me, but you've got to help me. These people are... hol... ding..." She trailed off when he reached down to grip her wrist, yanking her up to a standing position.  
  
"Shut up. You've poisoned my sister's mind enough with your nonsense." He gripped her shoulders tightly, pulling her face close to his. She stared into his eyes, shaking from fear and weakness born of pain and hunger. "You all think you're the same as us... well you're wrong. We're different... we're better." He scowled darkly.  
  
"P... please... let me go..." Alex asked squeaked.  
  
"You're not poisoning Sam anymore." He gripped her shoulders and dragged her toward the door. Alex screeched and thrust her legs upward, slamming both knees into his stomach. Anthony stumbled back against the wall outside the cell, and Alex lunged for the open door. She managed to get outside and turn the corner, but the second man's arm wrapped around her waist and flung her hard against the wall.  
  
"Agh!" Alex screamed in pain as the man moved his body up against hers from behind, pinning her to the wall. Tears her running down her cheeks as she looked do the side, seeing Anthony stomping up to her with an angry scowl on his lips. "Please..."  
  
"Enough trouble." Anthony raised his fist and thrust it forward, knocking Alex's consciousness into complete darkness.  
  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Clover drove down the street in her pink convertible as Sam pulled her compowder out of her belt. "So where are we headed? Do you know where Anthony is?" Clover asked. Sam ignored her and tapped the command to contact the WOOHP headquarters. Jerry's grim face appeared on the screen.  
  
"Do you need anything Sam?" Jerry asked.  
  
"I need access to WOOHP's orbiting surveillance satellites." Sam replied.  
  
To her surprise, Jerry simply nodded. "Done." Jerry's face vanished and a model of the Earth appeared on the screen. Sam tapped a portion of the screen and it zoomed in slightly She pressed her finger onto it, and the screen zoomed in like a falling meteorite until the very streets and traffic of Beverly Hills were clearly identifiable.  
  
"Guess we're lucky it's a sunny day today." Clover commented. "But how do you plan to find one guy with a surveillance satellite?"  
  
"Not the guy... the car. He's driving mine, and the paint job is custom. It should be easy to spot even from space... I hope." Slowly Sam scrolled around the city, watching the traffic on the streets carefully. Finally she spotted her car, speeding down the street directly parallel to the one they were on. "Clover, gun it and take the next left."  
  
"Gunning it." Clover jammed her foot down on the gas, weaving through traffic with skill born of long practice. The tires screeched in protest as the vehicle jerked to the left at the next intersection, but soon caught and carried them down this new road.  
  
"Hard right!" Sam exclaimed as Clover's car barreled into a direct collision course with her own car. Clover jerked the wheel to the right and slammed on the brakes, sending the vehicle into a circular spin. It spun straight into the next street where the side slammed into Sam's car, sending it barreling into the oncoming traffic on the other side of the street.  
  
"Hey... Alex!" Clover shouted. Sam looked up in surprise to see that the nasty bump had knocked a tarp loose from the lump in the back of the car, revealing part of Alex's head. Anthony turned the car to get back on the right side of the road before he had a head-on collision. "Oh no you don't!" Clover jammed on the gas, and with a mighty roar from the engine her corvette shot down the street in hot pursuit.  
  
Sam put away her compowder and removed her silver belt. "I'm going to anchor us, then you can pull him to a stop." Clover nodded. Sam wrapped the belt around the back of her seat and pulled the bungee cable off of it, standing up on her seat. The wind whipped her hair across her face, almost blinding her, but she managed to lift the Cable Bungee Belt and fire.  
  
The magnetic tip latched onto the left side of the steel trunk, effectively tying the two vehicles together. Anthony looked back at them from the front car and jerked the wheel to the side to head down a side street. The cable yanked their car forward like a ball and chain, sending them hurtling toward the corner of a nearby building.  
  
"Shit!" Clover yanked the wheel to the right, barely making the turn before they hit the building head on. Sam however was thrown to the side since she'd still been standing up. "Sammy!" Sam thrust the Catfight Claws into Clover's door, where they latched onto the upholstery and anchored her in place. "My car!" Clover exclaimed.  
  
"Stay on them!" Sam pulled herself into the back seat of the convertible as the car sped up. Anthony looked back at them again, not seeing that they were actually going the wrong way on a one-way street. Clover blinked as a semi turned down a nearby intersection, barreling straight toward them. "Turn!"  
  
Clover pulled to the left to avoid the oncoming traffic, but Anthony looked ahead just in time to see the semi coming toward him. He pulled frantically to the right, avoiding a collision. But the Expandable Cable Bungee Belt caught on the truck's front grill, pulling both cars around like a pair of kites toward the rear wheels.  
  
"Get out!" Clover and Sam both leapt out of the vehicle and slammed into the street, rolling to a pair of tangled heaps several feet away. Clover's car collided with Sam's underneath the truth with a loud crash of steel on steel. Both cars were smashed, but then both were sucked under the massive rear wheels and completely demolished. "ALEX!" Both spies screamed, running toward the wreckage as the semi came to a stop.  
  
They rounded the edge of the semi, and ran straight into Anthony, who punched Clover in the face, sending her hurtling to the ground off-guard. Sam rounded the corner and stared at Anthony, raising her arms into a fighting position in front of her.  
  
"Sam? You were the one chasing me?" Anthony asked in surprise. Alex was lying unconscious on the ground behind him, wrapped up in the tarp from before. "Why are you following me? She doesn't mean anything to you anymore."  
  
"You're wrong." Sam replied. "You sounded reasonable yesterday... but you forgot to take something into account. The human heart. Sure we're all different. Different histories, different backgrounds, different customs... but we all have the same heart. And regardless of our differences that heart is what pulls us all together."  
  
"Foolish idealism..." Anthony sighed.  
  
"Move out of the way and let me take Alex with me." Sam told him. "Don't make me take her from you."  
  
"I don't want to take the fall for this..." Anthony raised his fists in front of him.  
  
"You're falling either way." Sam lurched forward, flipping into a handstand and thrusting both of her feet into Anthony's chest. He stumbled back and fell to the ground, but regained his footing quickly as Sam flipped to her feet again and leapt forward with a whirling kick.  
  
Anthony ducked the kick and lunged forward, jamming one fist into Sam's stomach, knocking the wind out of her. He thrust his fist forward, sending her flying off of it through sheer strength. She hit the ground and rolled to her back clutching her stomach with both arms.  
  
"You stay away from them!" Clover screamed as she leapt over Sam, landing in a crouch and lunging under his guard. Her fist slammed into his jaw, sending him stumbling back before she whirled and planted her heeled boot into his stomach, doubling him over. Her knee came up and slammed into his face, sending him stumbling back and clutching his nose.  
  
Anthony glared at her, then smirked and lunged forward, throwing one punch. Clover whirled out of the way, but Anthony's other arm came around and gripped her throat, shoving her tightly up against the side of the semi. "Hugh..." Clover gargled in pain as he squeezed her throat tightly. Her hands pulled at his wrist, but her injury from last night was still haunting her, in addition to this new threat.  
  
"Leave... my... friends... alone!" Sam jumped forward, the Catfight Claws springing forth from her gloves. She slammed her fist into his side, driving the claws deep into his body. Anthony screamed and let go of Clover, stumbling back. Sam pulled the claws out of him, pulling them back into the glove. Anthony reached down to touch his side, his hand coming away red with blood.  
  
"Sam... how could you..." He gaped at her.  
  
"Easy... your little crusade here is over Anthony. The rest of your friends are going down with you." Sam walked up to him, narrowing her eyes. "Now back off." She decked him in the jaw, knocking him unconscious to the ground. Sam turned to approach Clover, kneeling down to help her up. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Y... Yeah..." Clover rubbed her throat tenderly. Her voiced scratchier than normal. "I'm fine... but Alex..." Both spies turned to walk over to the unconscious and wrapped up figure of their friend. They both knelt down to unwrap the tarp, fully revealing her head. "Alex, wake up now." Clover slapped her cheek gently.  
  
"Uhn... g... get away from..." Alex mumbled wearily, her eyes slowly opening. "Don't touch..."  
  
"Hey hey, it's us." Sam smiled down at her. Alex stared up at them in confusion for several moments before her rescue registered in her brain.  
  
"Clover... and Sammy... er... thanks... partner..." Alex said.  
  
"Partner nothing... I'm glad to see you, best friend." Sam pulled her into a tight hug. Alex squealed happily and held onto her, tears running down her smiling face. Sam blinked when she heard a soft thud beside her. Looking over, she saw Clover sprawled out on the street. "Clover!" Sam moved to make sure she was okay. The bruise on her neck looked really bad... the paramedic had warned them about that before. She couldn't be... gone...  
  
Sam and Alex both crawled over to her, trying to wake her up. Sam called on her compowder for an ambulance, but she had no idea if it would make it in time. One could only pray...  
  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
The hospital waiting room was beginning to feel like a prison as Sam waited anxiously for news of both of her best friends. Alex's injuries had been mostly minor bruises, but Clover's windpipe was another story. There was a chance her throat had been completely crushed, to the point of needing some seriously major surgery. Or she could already be...  
  
Sam was jolted out of her depressing thoughts when Alex emerged from the back, wearing an outfit Sam had gotten from her house for her to wear since she'd been taken without one. Sam smiled and stood to embrace her friend. "A clean bill of health." Alex said with a slight smile. "A little shaken... but I'll be fine... any news on Clover?"  
  
"Not yet, they're still working on her." Sam replied with a soft sigh. "Alex... I'm really sorry about what I said the other night... it was stupid. My brother was just messing with my head and..."  
  
Alex interrupted her with a tired smile. "Don't worry Sammy. As long as you're my friend again, it doesn't matter what happened." She looked like she wanted to hug again, but Sam's compowder started beeping from her pocket. Sam pulled it out and flipped open the top, revealing Jerry's face smiling up at them.  
  
"It's good to see you Alex." Jerry said.  
  
"Thanks Jerr." Alex smiled back. "It's good to be back with everything back to normal."  
  
"And a job well done, Sam." Jerry turned his gaze to Sam. "You and Clover will both be commended... and all three of you will get a nice long vacation."  
  
"That sounds good... I don't think we could do much for a while anyway between Alex's and Clover's injuries..." Sam trailed off and stared at Jerry. "Hey... what's going to happen to Anthony? Is he going to be tried in a normal court?"  
  
"We're going to take care of him." Jerry replied. Sam nodded in understanding, letting the topic drop without further inquiry. "Give Clover my regards when you see her. And again, good job girls." Jerry cut contact, so Sam put the compowder away with a sigh.  
  
"Do you think Clover will be okay?" Alex asked softly. Before Sam could answer someone else interrupted.  
  
"I'd say yes." Clover's voice was still scratchy, and she had a small neck brace on, but otherwise she was moving just fine as she approached her two friends.  
  
"Clover!" Alex jumped forward and wrapped her up in a massive hug as Sam walked up behind her, smiling. "Thank you so much... for everything you've done..." Alex pulled back and smiled, staring into Clover's eyes.  
  
Sam scratched her head in confusion. "Am I missing something?" She asked.  
  
"Forget it Sammy... let's all get out of here and get a nice, very soft, something to eat." Clover suggested.  
  
Alex giggled. "Sounds good." They turned to leave, but Sam followed still complaining.  
  
"Come on guys, don't keep secrets from me. What's going on?" Sam followed them with questions, but neither Alex nor Clover would give it up. Aw well... it didn't really matter. The three spies and best friends were together again as it was supposed to be. And they would stay that way, because that's what best friends did, regardless of all other concerns.  
  
THE END 


End file.
